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help me pick one of these compressors!

Both are oil lube (a must). The CH is a 26 gal that would sit in my small shop and i would run airline around the house/garage when needed. The ridgid is a 5gal portable that would make the trip between the garage and basement.

I mainly will be using this for finish/framing nailers, with the occasional impact wrench and small volume spray gun. I dont plan on larger spray projects or air grinders or anything. I think ill probably end up using this maybe 3-4 times a month for small projects and then a handfull of big renovation projects each year.

I know the ridgid is made by CH, but it does look to be a little nicer. Considering they are ~100 diff in price, which way would you lean?

Personally, portability is my friend. And I know you said CH makes Rigid. I'm a little skeptical. Even if the same company makes both, it does not make them equal in quality. Interstate batteries are made by Johnson Controls, but you can bet that other batteries made by the same company are the same in quality to an interstate.

If you intend to spray with an HVLP, you better check the CFM production on that rigid though. I have a both of these and they keep up well for me. I didn't search for best pricing on these links, I just found the models I own.

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I know...apples to oranges....i think for 95% of my work, the Ridgid would be fine and id enjoy the portability...but theres that 5% of the time where id be wishing i had the larger CH even if it was stationary....hrmm...

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I have a pancake compressor that does 95% of the stuff I do. If I had the chance to do it over again I'd buy one the size of the CH unit you're looking at instead of the pancake compressor I know have. If by portability you're talking about actually taking a compressor off site then the smaller Ridgid would be a better choice. However, if portability only means moving the compressor from room to room in your house then you could accomplish that by just hooking up a series of air hoses together hooked up to the bigger compressor.

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~~Don't worry about old age; it doesn't last that long.

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I have two compressors, both hold the Craftsman label. My 33-gal is an oil-less, and I have to tell you that it is a perfect example/reason for getting an oil-lubed unit. Thing is so loud that even wearing the best ear-plugs isn't enough! But, I like the wheels and it's easy to relocate; but I wouldn't call it mobile and with that weight and size it's no where close to "portable". I would figure that that the CH falls into the same class for portability. However, the reason I picked it was that it had a higher CFM rating than anything competive. At 150 psi, the 33-gal tank takes a few minutes to fill, but runs my siphon-feed spray gun at an adequate rate. The unit is made by DiVilbiss.

Still, when I move my shop outside this summer, I'll probably look for a stationary lube unit, that will be sized above my estimated needs. My preferance woud be an Ingersoll-Rand 60-gal oil-lubricated unit, running at 220 volts. I'm very familiar with the engineering and manufacturing quality that goes into I-R units as I worked for I-R and D-R for 30 years. But, they're on the expensive side. A stationary is best used if you can design it into your shop, and simply pipe it to where you'll use it. Plan for adequate filtration (and condensate trapping), especially when spraying. Out in the garage area where you might use air tools, you can install a lubrication unit that will keep your tools runninng smoothly. Follow standard practices, and such a compressor should last a lifetime of hobby, auto, and woodshop usage.

My second compressor (also a Craftsman) is a little oil-lubed 2-gallon, which was purchase for the sole purpose of driving my nailers. I love it, for it's quiet operation and portability. Easy to carry from room to room, carry up stairs, take in and out of the van, etc. At 125 psi, the small tank is adequate for using my nailers. My contract carpenter also loved it, as it was lighter in weight and easier to store than his P-C oil-less pancake compressor. With his big framing nailer, the small tank was required to pop on much more frequently. The compressor is rated at 50% duty cycle, and is about the quietest (sp?) I've ever seen. No problem with it running just a few feet away (I use it with a 25 ft rubber hose). At $119, it's a heckuva bargain and I expect it to last practically forever, considering it's lubricated, duty cycle. Even on initial fill, the compressor doesn't run long enough to get the cylinder hot. This unit is made in China, but meets international engineering standards. It is well thought out and nicely built with decent components, like guages, regulator, safety valves, etc.

I can see where a larger tank might be an advantage for larger nailers, but for my use, it cuts into the portability. I added a cord wrap to keep the power cord secure during transport and I use a 25 ft rubber hose, which easily fits with the compressor and I can carry both compressor and hose in one hand. In use, the 25-ft hose is never in the way, and it coils up quickly when it's time to put stuff away.

In the past, I had a lubricated, electric motor-driven, wheel barrow-twin tank made by Energair, a subsidiary of I-R during back in the 70's. It was enough to drive a little spotting gun that I used for finish spraying. Although a lubricated it was a bit noisy, but a lot of that was the belt guard, and removable handles rattleing. I never had a problem with it beyond starting attempts tripping the circuit breaker during the winter months. (Oil lubed units will be problem in the winter, unless they're heated.) Unfortunately, this particular unit got recalled because of some tank leaks caused by corrosion. I never had a problem with mine, and I suspect that much of the problem can be contributed to owners who rarely or never drained the condensate from the tanks.

CWS

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i have an older 6.5hp 25 gallon craftsman oilless as well ad it scares the crap out of me everytime it comes on. plus its so loud you cant hear yourself think and i swear it shakes the ground when its running lol

Both are oil lube (a must). The CH is a 26 gal that would sit in my small shop and i would run airline around the house/garage when needed. The ridgid is a 5gal portable that would make the trip between the garage and basement.

I mainly will be using this for finish/framing nailers, with the occasional impact wrench and small volume spray gun. I dont plan on larger spray projects or air grinders or anything. I think ill probably end up using this maybe 3-4 times a month for small projects and then a handfull of big renovation projects each year.

I know the ridgid is made by CH, but it does look to be a little nicer. Considering they are ~100 diff in price, which way would you lean?

THanks,

Doug

That CH compressor is also sold as a Husky in HD. Only difference is the tank is 30gal.

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Currently I have a 33 Gal. craftsman. It is loud but i built a "closet" out of 2x4's and plywood and insulated it so It isn't to bad inside with the garage door shut.
Anyway, it does run an air spray gun and impact without problems but I am currently in the market for a smaller one because it takes a while for the 33 to fill up enough to use my nailer. And usually when I get the nailer out it is just to fire a few brads. so depending on what you will do with it you may be better with the small one. Just somthing to consider.

I have an Extreme Duty rated Campbell Hausfeld (6.8 cfm @ 90 psi on a 20 gal horizontal tank) that I have had for about 10 years. Quiet, will run a paint gun (especially of you have a pressure pot), and reliable. Downside, its heavy (about 300 lbs), but can be loaded into a pickup with a ramp. (May want to use a come-along or a healthy friend).

If looking for quiet or longevity, go with the extreme duty rating (cast iron compressor, oil bath, hardened steel sleeves in the compressor).

If looking for light and portable, plan on a lot of noise, and I can not give you a recommendation, because I have not used one that would push a spray gun for any length of time without burning it up.